Deceased calf-carrying by female Arctic killer whale suggests species-wide epimeletic behavior

Abstract Carrying dead calves is an epimeletic behaviour (caregiving or attentive actions towards injured or dead individuals) documented in several social cetacean species. During focal follows using a drone, we recorded an adult female killer whale ( Orcinus orca ) in the eastern Canadian Arctic carrying a deceased calf by its pectoral fins. Although the calf possessed several injuries, the cause of death was unclear. Similar accounts of dead calf carrying have been limited primarily to killer whales in eastern North Pacific, and our observation demonstrates epimeletic behavior is more widespread across the species than previously documented.